


Trust

by LadyOneiroi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2014-02-11
Packaged: 2018-01-12 00:25:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1179719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOneiroi/pseuds/LadyOneiroi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because once, he had a brother that was there to save him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trust

"Come on." Sirius says, and it’s as if there is nothing to fear from the dark waters of the lake. Regulus is comfortable just where he is, no thank you sir, he will not be jumping into the water anytime soon. His older brother stands waist-deep in it, waiting for the boy to comply, but he won’t. Regulus is content to sit on the grass and watch his brother get into mischief.

Sirius is having none of it. “You’re going to learn to swim, Reg.” he says, in a voice that is less a statement and more a command. The bony child shook his head, determined to stay as far from the lake as he could manage without leaving Sirius’ sight.

"For Merlin’s sake, Reg, you’re 8!" the older boy groans, still fighting to get the lad to try and learn. Regulus almost complies, knowing that so many other boys would laugh if they knew he couldn’t do something so simple. He gets off of the ground, determined to be rid of his fear once and for all. Once he stands, though, he sees the lake did spread out further than his dark eyes could see, and it made the blood in his veins turn to ice.

He has no use for water, not when it’s as black as his name and he wouldn’t be able to see the bottom.

Sirius takes his brother’s standing as compliance, and wades out of the water, up the shore, and straight on to his brother. It takes little effort for him to pick up the ever so slight Regulus and carry him to the water, thinking the boy’s terrified silence is instead further willingness to learn. As he tries to lower Regulus into the water, the boy screams, trying to get as far from the water as he can.

"Reg!" Sirius gasps as he falls backwards into the shallows, his brother still holding onto him like a life preserver. The water wouldn’t even hit Sirius’ knees if he were standing, but Regulus is having none of it, water levels be damned. He wants to chastise Regulus, to tell him that being shoved into the ground is not a pleasant experience, but the sheer primal terror etched on the boy’s face does something to him.

Grey eyes softening, Sirius begins to speak. “What are you so scared of?”

"I’m going to drown."

He smiles, and Regulus takes it for a traitorous show of amusement in his brother, lips pulling back into a snarl.

"Nah, you won’t."

"I will."

"Not with me here. I wouldn’t let you drown."

Regulus stays silent, wanting so badly to trust his brother and his assurances. He wants his faith in Sirius to be stronger than his fears.

"Promise?" the boy whispers.

"Yeah." comes the simple answer.

It is only then that Regulus pulls away from his brother, allowing Sirius to teach him the barest basics of maneuvering the water.

"If I drown, pull me up." Regulus asks, just before his first attempt alone. Sirius almost scoffs, sure that the boy was over that nonsense, but nods.

"I’ll pull you out of the water, don’t worry."

And so Regulus swims out all of a foot before losing his focus and going under, screaming so that water fills his lungs as he tries to call for Sirius. He surfaces for a moment, looks around wildly, sure that his brother has abandoned him, when he feels Sirius’ arms around him, dragging him back to the shallows over his kicking and screaming.

Mother is furious, when she appears, always is where Sirius is concerned. She wraps her youngest in her cloak before giving a good tongue lashing to her oldest. The tiny, sputtering Regulus shakes in the warm fabric, watching Sirius’ eyes darken as his mother went on and on about how irresponsible he was. He wants to say something, wants to tell Mum to stop that, but all he can do is cough up more lake water. Mother hushes him, running her hands through his dark hair before ushering him inside the summer house they’ve been staying in and up to a fire.

He sits there for some time, waiting, and a few hours later, the door opens. Mum is upstairs, Dad is speaking with some guest in the dining room, and Kreacher is back in the kitchen. It has to be Sirius, and he turns to look at his brother, who still seems to burn with anger. He looks at Sirius and can’t help but love him, the affection turning into trust that would be unshakeable for 6 years.

Trust that is only broken the night Sirius leaves Grimmauld Place without offering his brother a similar way out.

The breaking is easier than he thought it would be, if only because the pair had drifted apart not long after that summer at the lake house. That disastrous swimming lesson is one of the last truly fond memories Regulus ever has of being with his brother, though he rarely thinks of it.

He does not, for example, immediately recall the day as he stands before another lake more than a decade later. All he knows is a damnable thirst, a deep, unspeakable ache, and he needs water to put out the hellfire burning through his body. He is dragged under, as he was meant to, and in that fading moment just before the darkness, he had one singular, mad thought.

His brother was going to be along soon and pull him from the water, just like before.

He thinks that to himself, and he remembers that trust from so long ago, and then he knows nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> The Black family interest me more than they have any right to. The story of two brothers torn apart by ideals even more so.  
> So here we have the sons of the Black family in happier times.


End file.
